Invulnerability
by EyesOutOfTheWindow
Summary: When Jo gets assaulted, the team has to put all hands on deck to find the perpetrator.
1. Chapter I

**Invulnerability**

**Chapter I**

Jo listened to the screeching sound of the tracks beneath her, and felt the earth move steady along. It had been a rough day, two young girls had been kidnapped, and murdered. Cases like this always crept on her, having children of her own. She couldn't help thinking that someday, all the cruelty of society, might happen to them. Taking the subway, instead of her car, was her way of coping, and of letting things go. She needed a little time to think about the past events, as she watched the lights flashing by in front of her. She was alone in the wagon, except for a young girl in the back who was reading a heavy book. She closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath. She shook her head lightly, and forced her mind to think about something else.

For the past months, that _something else_ had been Mac. On her way home, and lately, even in her office (which she found extremely distracting), she found herself thinking about him. Furthermore, she couldn't take her eyes of him. She had kicked herself mentally several times, but she just couldn't help it. She would catch herself thinking about how good he looked, how hilarious he was at times, how cute his smile looked, how gentle his voice sounded, and how bad she wanted him. Inside, she knew she was falling in love. But she wasn't ready to act upon it, yet. She didn't want to rush into things. She first wanted to make sure the feeling was mutual. Sometimes, their eyes would meet, and she would see this little spark in his eyes. In that moment, she starts thinking what to do next... kiss him? _Come on, just do it. _But then the moment passes, all to soon, and her courage slowly fades away, until there's only a wide smile left. She hated herself for being too _chicken_ to make the first move, because this wasn't like her at all. But then again, she realized how much she wanted _them_ to happen, and how easily it could be ruined, when handled wrong. She wanted to wait. In the mean time, she was content with spending as much time as she could with him. Suddenly, her eyes shot open, when she heard the doors open and two boys got in.

The train started moving again, and the two boys slowly made their way up to the back of the wagon, even though there was plenty of place in the front. The girl, who was already sitting there, nervously moved back and forth, when she saw them coming towards her.

Jo noticed something was off, and slid to her side to see what was going on. She saw how the two boys sat down along both sides of the girl (who was trying her absolute best to ignore both of them). One of them placed his arm around her shoulder, and moved closer towards her face. "Don't you recognize me anymore?" he spoke. The girl kept her eyes at her book at all times, and tried not to move. But when the boy stroked the back of his hand along her cheek, she panicked. She frantically turned the pages in her book, and tried to turn away.

Jo cursed under her breath when she saw how the boy grabbed her book, threw it to the side, and slid his hand under her skirt. "Knock it off", she shouted in a stern voice across the wagon. The boys looked up in her direction, but didn't seem to be bothered, and just kept going.

Jo quickly rose to her feet, and starting towards them. "I said, knock it off", she said. The boy slowly retrieved his hand, and put it in the air with a smug look on his face. "Come with me", she told the girl, and grabbed her by the hand. "Don't leave me this way. I can't survive. I can't stay alive, without your sweet love", one of the boys started singing as he watched the girl take a seat far across the wagon. "Oh Annabelle, sweet angel, don't leave me this way", and with that last line, both of the boys stood up, and left the wagon.

Jo casted the girl a caring smile. "I have to get of at the next stop."

"I'm coming with", the girl whispered, and minutes later both of them were standing on the deserted platform.

"Do you have to far?"

"I'll manage", the girl said.

"Be careful."

"I will", the girl disappeared in the night.

Jo quickly made her way out of the subway, into the cold winter streets. She sensed there was early snow in the air, and held on tight to her woolen scarf. She thought back at the girl, and hoped that she would be alright. _This day just can't get worse_, she thought to herself. She turned around the corner, and headed straight home. In the mean time, her thoughts had already wandered back to the man she loved. She longed for his warm embrace. So much so, it hurt. "Stop it", she mentally kicked herself. "Get yourself together, already."

Suddenly, she felt somebody grabbing her from behind. She felt how a bag was put over her head, and how she got dragged to the side. She tried to rip it of, but her hands were stuck in the grip of a strong hand. She tried to scream, but received a first hard punch in her face. She felt paralyzed.

_Do something, do something_, her mind kept racing, but every attempt was blocked with another violent blow. She felt nausea arising in her abdomen, and pain spreading like electric shocks through her body. She started tasting blood in her mouth. She tried to reach for her bag, but soon realized it was nowhere to be found. Fear gripped her by the throat, and slowly started suffocating her. She couldn't see anything, and didn't saw when the next punch was coming. She prayed for it to be over, but the beating kept going. In seconds, her legs gave in and she fell to the ground. She received a last blow to the head, and rolled over to her side.

She immediately tried to retrieve her bag again, but it was no use. She was lying there helpless, feeling the blood pumping though her brain. She could only hear a light ringing tone, she was slipping away. She couldn't hold on for much longer. She guided her hand across the pavement, and felt her phone crashed to the ground. She retrieved it, and tried to dial 911. She sensed her fingers go numb. She couldn't... couldn't... think anymore.

"Mac...", she whispered before succumbing to her weary mind.


	2. Chapter II

Mac was pacing around the hospital waiting room, when the doctor on call made his way through the doors. "Detective Taylor?" he asked.

"How is she?"

"She mostly has bruised ribs, and a lot of stitches in the head", the doctor informed him.

"I see", he swallowed hard.

Mac couldn't believe this was happening. Just a few hours ago, they were having dinner together in his office, going over some files, and now... He kept thinking it was his fault. He should've insisted she'd take a ride home with him, instead of taking the subway. He'd gotten the call almost two hours ago, but his head was still spinning from the news he had received. This wasn't the first time one of his team members got attacked. He'd always take pride in being able to handle these situations rationally. He'd be the one to tell everyone to calm down, and to do their job as if it were a normal case. But this time, he failed miserably. First, he'd gotten out of his bed, and stumbled over his own feet. He'd made a call to chief Sinclair, barely able to hold it together. He'd driven like a mad man to get to the hospital. And now, he stood their in utter despair, shaking like a straw, and trying his absolute to hold back the tears he felt accumulating in his eyes.

"Fortunately", the doctor continued, "We arrived quickly on the scene."

"Did she get..." he asked, even though he wasn't sure he was ready for the answer.

"She didn't get raped" the doctor assured him. "Do you want to go see her?"

"Please."

Mac followed the doctor out in the corridor, and took in a deep breath. "Are you ready?" the doctor asked when they arrived at her room. He was anything but ready, but lightly nodded in agreement. He was greeted by the sterile hospital smell, that made his stomach turn over, and heard the continuous beep of her heart in the background. He turned the corner of her room, and saw her lying there, shattered. He blinked his eyes several times, and slowly approached her bed. "Hey..." he whispered.

Jo's eyes met his, and he could tell she had been crying. She reached out her hand, and stroked it alongside his. She wasn't able to say much, so it was her way of letting him know she was relieved he'd arrived. She'd had been roughed up, with her forehead bandaged, her right eye surrounded by blue skin, and her lips burst.

Mac slowly knelt down beside her bed. "Have you been robbed?" he asked silently.

Jo didn't answer him, she just looked him straight in the eyes, pulling him closer with her hand.

"We checked her bag, but everything was still in it, so...", the doctor answered for her.

"I didn't even use my pepper spray", she spoke for the first time with a trembling voice. "...twenty years of police training, fight techniques, arms control... and for what?" she asked. "If it happens, you're as big of a loser as all the rest", she started crying.

Mac ran his hand through her hair, and squeezed her hand. "You don't have to be ashamed", he said. "It can happen to all of us."

"But aren't we supposed to be there to make sure these things don't happen?"

For a brief moment, the room went silent.

"Did you know the perpreators", he asked, but again received no answer.

"Can you describe them", he tried again.

"I don't remember anything", she panicked, and a tear rolled down across her cheek.

"It's all right", he tried to reassure her, and looked back over to the doctor. "She has lost an hour of her memory", the doctor stated.

"How?", he asked.

"It very common in these kind of situations that patients suffer from retrograde amnesia", the doctor explained.

"Is it possible that her memory comes back?"

"It is possible, but then again, it's very uncertain...", the doctor stuttered, "I think it would be best if we let her rest for a while", he waved his hand towards the door.

"Just one second", he turned back towards Jo.

"I'm sorry, but you know that every detail is important", he moved closer. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Jo closed her eyes for a while, and took in a deep breath.

"Two boys in the subway", she opened her eyes again.

"Did they do this to you?" he asked again, feeling anger boiling deep inside of him.

"I don't know."

"What did they look like?"

And then, there was a long silence, not because she had to think it over, but because she started to realize she really didn't know. She nervously moved her head to the side, and back, and clung to the bedside. "I don't know", she started sobbing uncontrollably.

Mac felt the hand of the doctor on his shoulder pulling him away from her. "Please..." the doctor asked. Mac slowly stood up, and let go of her hand. "Don't worry", he said, "We'll find them." Seeing her crying broke his heart in two, and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms, and tell her it would be all right. Leaving her alone didn't seem the right thing to do, but he finally turned away, and started walking towards the door. "Mac...", he turned around one last time, and stopped in his tracks.

"There was also a girl", she sobbed. "Like in the song... Annabelle."

"Okay..."

"I... I... can't remember anything else. I'm... I'm so sorry... sorry", she whispered

"It's okay...", he tried to comfort her "It's okay", and with that the doctor pulled him away, and started closing the door. "I'll keep you posted." and disappeared in back her room.

Mac stood there alone, helpless. He could still here her uncontrollable cries through the door, and there's was absolutely nothing he could do about it now. He placed his hand on the door, and prayed for the strength they both would need to get through this. He would find who did this to her, and make them pay. He pulled out he's cell phone, and dialed Flack's number.

"Flack, it's me. Listen, get everyone to the lab as soon as possible, something happened..."


	3. Chapter III

_First, I want to thank everybody who has been reading my story. And please, keep on reviewing my story, and let me know if you have any remarks or suggestions, or if you think I'm still on the right track. Much appreciated._

**CHAPTER III**

"Sorry we're late", Lindsey stumbled into the conference room out of breath.

"We couldn't find a baby sitter", Danny continued, taking a seat among the others, who had already arrived.

"It's okay, sit down", Mac weakly smiled.

"How is she doing, Mac?" Flack asked concerned.

"She has been pretty roughed up", he wished he had better news to tell them.

"According to the first findings, Jo was attacked around 10:30 p.m., and around 10:37 p.m., she called 911", Mac immediately started summing up the facts, avoiding the questions of his team. "However, officers canvassed the neighborhood, and there were no witnesses", Mac listed all the information he had received so far from the night shift.

"They put a bag over her head...", he paused. Since he had received the news, he had been running around all over the place, made a few phone calls, but mostly, going over all the information he had already received. He just couldn't believe this was happening. It was like one of those nights, you just hope that it's nothing more than a bad dream. But then the present slaps you in the face, and makes your stomach turn over. Before he had gone in to the conference room, he had gone to the bathroom. He had stared in the mirror for some time, trying to put his mind at rest, and sprinkled water in his face. He had to keep his cool, because he was in charge, and he had to make sure everything went according to procedure. He forced his mind not to think about the fact that it was Jo, who was lying in the hospital. "...and dragged her into a nearby alley", he continued.

"That's all we know so far", Mac looked up from his notes. He found everybody staring at him, as if they couldn't believe that was all the information they got.

"Didn't Jo give you an identification, Mac?" Sheldon asked confused.

"She doesn't remember anything, except for two boys and a girl on the subway. She believes the girl's name was Annabelle."

"Did they do this to her?" Flack asked.

"She really doesn't know", Mac sighed. The team started realizing how hard it must've been on Jo. Silence filled the room, and everybody found themselves staring into the far. Feelings of frustration, and anger ran through their bodies. But also, determination. Danny broke the silence: "There must be something we can do."

"Danny, Lindsey, I want you to go down there, and assist the people who are already processing the scene. I don't want them to miss a thing. Look for blood spatter, fingerprints... anything that could help us find who did this", he said determined, "And be thorough", he added.

"Got it", Danny nodded.

"Adam...", Mac waited a second for Adam to look up. "Adam", he asked again.

Adam abruptly looked up, and adjusted himself in his chair.

"I... I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"Adam, focus", Mac sighed. He didn't need this right now.

"I'm sorry", Adam apologized again.

"I want you to pull up the footage of the camera's in the subway."

"I'm on it, boss", he said. He shook his head, trying to focus on the meeting. But all he could think about was Jo. Over the past year, they had become really close friends. He never expected it, though. On her first day, she had pushed him a little to far with her teasing him about the secret files. He couldn't stand her at the time, actually. He thought she was one of those women who thought they knew it all. One of those women who played tricks with you, all of the time, and found pleasure in degrading you. But Jo turned out to be nothing like those women. Okay, she liked to play games sometimes. But he'd learned to appreciate it, because that's just the way she is. And furthermore, she was the only one who put up with his craziness. They had laughed together so many times, that it was hard to imagine her not being able to smile like she always effortlessly did, and her having to deal with so much pain right now.

"Flack, go talk to the subway driver."

"I will", he answered.

"I want answers. I want to find out who did this to her, and why", Mac said in a stern voice. "I want Jo to be able to feel safe again", he continued. "We will have a new meeting...", he looked at his watch, "at 6 a.m." Seeing his team bundling all their forces, made him more certain then ever they could pull this off. Everybody immediately shoved their chairs to the side, eager to find some evidence. Sheldon slightly hesitated, and walked up to Mac.

"Can we go see her in the morning?" he asked silently.

"I'm afraid not, Sheldon", Mac answered, "She's barely able to speak."

"I see", Sheldon swallowed hard. He didn't realize the situation was this bad.

"I'll let you know when you can. I'm waiting for a phone call from the doctor. He'd call if I could go over. I'll let you know when it's okay for the rest of the team to go see her."

"Thanks, Mac", he patted Mac's shoulder, and ran off into the hall way.

Mac sighed, and rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a long night. He hoped they would be able to find something, because he couldn't stand the thought of the person who did this to her walking about on the streets. He wanted to make sure Jo could feel safe again. That was the only thing that mattered right now. He walked toward his office, and passed Jo's. He wanted to be with her so much right now, feel her body against his and just be there for her, comfort her. He wanted to be the person she would want to lean on, so badly.

He pushed the door of his office open, and sunk down in his chair. He looked at the photo frame that Jo had given him as an early Christmas present. It was a photo of the entire team, that had been taken on Jo's birthday party a few months ago. Jo was in the front, wearing a painted, cardboard crown Adam had made for her. She looked as happy as she'd ever be. She also had his arms wrapped around him, and rested her head against his cheek. He still remembered how giddy that made him feel inside. He closed his eyes, and felt tears against his eyelids. He just wanted his family to be complete again.


	4. Chapter IV

**CHAPTER IV**

"Josué Hernández?" Flack looked at the man putting on a pair of worn out shoes in the dressing room. "That would be me", Josué answered, not taking his eyes off the ground. He sluggishly stood up from the bench and carefully limped towards his locker to pull out his checked vest. He turned it around and retrieved a small pack of cigarettes out of the right pocket.

Flack sighed heavily at the ignorance of the old man and stepped forward. "NYPD… Listen, I need to ask you some questions", Flack said flashing his badge. Back at the precinct, it had only taken him one phone call to find out which driver had been assigned to the nightshift on line 5.

"Oh, I'd _love_ to sit down with you and chat", Josué put on a sarcastic tone, "but I'd rather get some sleep. It's 5 a.m. in the morning, I just got of a long shift and I'm _really_ tired. So, can we do this another time?" Josué put on his moldy hat and limped right passed Flack towards the door.

Flack turned around and shook his head in disbelief. "_Or_, I could give you a ride to the precinct", he called out towards Josué. "… if that's what you want." Josué stopped dead in his tracks and turned his head around.

"Have you seen this woman?" Flack pulled out a photograph of Jo and almost tossed it into Josué's face. Flack felt rather uncomfortable flashing Jo's photo in front of a random stranger and nervously shuffled his feet on the dirty ground. He carefully monitored the look on Josué's face and prayed that he would recognize her.

"I… I'm not sure", Josué stated. He stroked his fingers through his short beard and glanced over to Flack.

"Look again", Flack said, still holding out Jo's photo.

"Listen, a _lot_ of people get passed those subway doors at night", Josué cast his eyes away.

"Look _again_", Flack sternly muttered, desperate to find out who did this to Jo.

Josué looked up at Flack and grunted loudly. He moved a little closer and pulled off his hat to rub his forehead. "Mmm…", Josué hummed after a couple of seconds, "I guess I _do _recognize her."

Flack let out a relieved sigh and put down the photo. "So, you've seen her?"

"She got in on the first wagon right behind the driver's booth", he explained, "I guess I was able to see her face."

"Did anything suspicious happened?" Flack asked, growing more impatient by the second.

"Some girl got harassed by some boys in that wagon", Josué sighed, "That woman in the picture intervened and got off at the next stop, _with_ the girl." Josué turned around and moved towards the door again. He pulled a cigarette out of his pack and lit it in the dark of the corridor.

"Okay, just a minute", Flack shouted. "_Some_ girl? _Some_ boys?" Flack followed Josué outside. "Can you describe them?" Flack nervously asked. "And what about those boys? Did they get off too?"

"I didn't really pay attention", Josué answered, blowing some smoke in Flack's face.

"Really?" Flack frowned and put on an indignant look.

"Listen, these things happen all the time." Josué scoffed. "I really don't have anything else to say to you." Josué turned around. "Good night."

Flack watched as the old man made his way out of the corridor. He quickly retrieved his cell phone and dialed Mac's number.

"Okay, got it." Mac quickly hung up his phone and walked into the lab where Adam was carefully observing all the footage he had pulled from the subway station.

"Did you find anything yet?" Mac asked. He stepped over to Adam and peeked over his shoulder.

"I found the footage of Jo getting on the subway", Adam said. He returned to the main menu on his computer, and carefully rewound the footage with a swift movement of his hand across the mouse pad. Mac's heart jumped in his chest when Jo suddenly appeared on the large screen. He immediately directed his look towards her face and thought she looked rather worried. He shook the idea out of his head, and immediately blamed it on his restless imagination. Upon arriving, Jo walked over to the edge of the platform and curiously glanced into the dim tunnel, checking if the train wasn't arriving yet. After that, she spun around and started pacing, sporadically looking at her watch. "Nothing suspicious, right?" Adam broke the silence and tilted his head.

Mac was startled by Adam's sudden comment and pulled his eyes of the large computer screen. "Right", he merely stated.

"So, the train arrived at 9.51 p.m. and she got on, _alone_", Adam said. "I also pulled the footage from the platform she got off", Adam continued. "She was accompanied by a girl, apparently", Adam instantaneously fasted forward the footage. "The girl briefly exchanged some words with Jo", Adam murmured, describing the blurred image on his computer screen. "But then, the girl steps away and Jo heads the other direction."

"I just got off the phone with Don", Mac said. "The subway driver told him that a girl got harassed by two boys and that Jo intervened straightaway."

A slight grin appeared on Adam's face when he thought about Jo helping the young girl out. "Off course she did", he whispered under his breath. "Could this be the girl?" Adam glanced back at the large computer screen.

"Positive, the subway driver said they got off together." Mac confirmed, pulling up a chair. "Can you enhance the image?" He motioned towards the screen.

"Just a second…" Adam quietly mumbled. He entered the code to enlarge the image into the best possible quality. He let the computer run, and blinked several times in an attempt do away with the fatigue that was incessantly violating his eyes. He looked up at the clock hanging on the wall, and a slight headache surfaced when it suddenly occurred to him he'd already been searching the footage for more than four hours straight. All of a sudden, the computer beeped and showed the result of its processing. "That's the best I can do", Adam said.

"Good enough", Mac answered. "Search all the possible databases."

"Got it", Adam replied.

"Did you pull the footage from the stop _after_ Jo got on?" Mac asked.

"Uh... I… I didn't… I can't", Adam hesitated.

Mac didn't answer and threw Adam a stern look of disbelief. He moved his lips to form the word _'Why…'_, but got stuck in a violent maelstrom of thoughts. Adam swallowed hard at the wrinkled face of Mac and nervously ran his fingers along the muscles of his neck.

"Apparently, the camera on that platform has been broke for over a month."

"You gotta be kidding me, right?" Mac raised his voice.

"I… I'm not", Adam answered.

"Those two boys got on the train on that platform", Mac raised his voice in disbelief.

"Okay", Mac rubbed his forehead and tried to regroup his thoughts to find another solution. "So what about the footage of the platforms _after_ Jo got off?" He asked.

"I pulled it, but no sign of those boys getting off."

"Are you sure?" Mac's voice trembled under the setbacks he had to endure.

"Positive", Adam muttered.

"But how is that possible? They must have gotten off somewhere?" Mac started pacing around the room, putting his hands in his pockets in a vain attempt to disguise the violent way they were trembling in frustration. Adam fell silent and followed the nervous movement's of his boss in great awe. He wondered what it _possibly _could be that downsized Mac into a loose cannon. "I have no idea, Mac", he simply stated. "Maybe they just stayed seated when the subway turned around again."

Mac let out a loud infuriated sigh and squeezed his eyes together. He felt a throbbing headache coming on and rubbed his fingers across his forehead. All he wanted to do was lie down for a while and forget about this whole mess. His thoughts wandered off to Jo again and his stomach clenched together at the image off her lying there on the hospital bed. He thought he heard her desperate sobs echoing inside his head again, causing his head to spin.

The thought of losing her made tears accumulating in his eyes. He couldn't lose her, _ever_. And certainly not before he told her how he felt about her. Immediately, feelings of despair gave away for feelings of self blame and regret. He kicked himself mentally for not telling her sooner how he felt about her. He was a broddler if it came to matters of the heart. Always scared off the light at the end of the tunnel. He'd just crawl back into the gloom of his self-induced isolation. That way, he didn't have to lay his heart on the line and run the danger of getting hurt. He had always thought of it as the better option, _until now_. He straightened his back lightly and pressed his lips together. He felt the strength accumulating in his chest and felt the courage slowly dripping into his heart. And so, right then and there, he decided to give himself a deadline. _One week_, to tell her she meant everything to him. Because there might be no other chance of finding love again. He felt his blood pumping through his veins at the thought of the decision he had just made. He felt his heart raging through his skin and sweat accumulating on his forehead. _You only live once, _he thought to himself. _You only live once, you only… _"Mac!" Adam suddenly shouted.

Mac was sucked right back into reality and opened his eyes to find a picture of a blonde girl in her twenties displayed on the computer screen.

"We have a match", Adam nervously turned in his chair and pulled up all the information.

"Annabelle Boye", Mac mumbled as he ran his eyes over her profile.

"She works in the Loeb Boathouse restaurant in Central Park", Adam informed. "No priors, nothing that would indicate she'd want to beat the hell out of a random stranger."

"Maybe she'll be able to identify those two boys", Mac completed, and glanced over to his watch. It was almost 6 a.m., and time was ticking faster by the minute. "I'll get everyone to meet up in the conference room within a half-hour", he said. "We'll discuss all the findings, and then decide what to do next." Mac walked away from the lab and pulled out his cell phone. He felt a wave of dizziness rolling over him, but he certainly wasn't about to slow down.

_It has taken me forever to update, and I apologize for that. Man, oh man, blame it on society's great responsibility's. Okay, so Mac may be on to something. Tu-dum-dum. Let me know what's on your mind. _


	5. Chapter V

**CHAPTER V**

As Danny and Flack entered the lobby of the Loeb Boathouse restaurant, the assigned personnel was hastily cleaning up the dining room and setting the tables for the first clients to arrive. As they made their way up to the reception, they meticulously scanned the room for the woman from whom they expected to receive a clear identification of the boys that had harassed her the other night. The general meeting of the team in the conference room a couple of hours earlier, hadn't brought up any helpful information. For starters, the doctor hadn't been able to recover any usable DNA-sample of Jo's beaten body. And Danny and Lindsey hadn't found any new lead through processing the scene that night, and so the gap of unanswered questions remained. The perpetrators had been extremely careful and hadn't left anything to chance. If the team didn't know any better, they were almost inclined to believe that the attack was premeditated. Mac and the rest of the team had been running around like mad men, searching for evidence and going over all possible scenarios, but they ended the night empty-handed. The moral of the team was slowly sinking beneath freezing point, and they were starting to consider the fact that they might never find out the identity of the attackers. Annabelle turned out as their last hope on solving this case, and so Flack and Danny were nervously trailing the room for someone who could help them out with finding the one person they depended entirely on.

"Can I help you?" A waiter stepped up to them, not really paying attention because he was still unwieldy adjusting the tie under his suit.

"We are looking for Annabelle Boye", Danny managed in his thickest native accent.

"She's right over there", the young man pointed his finger towards the bar without taking his eyes off the two detectives standing in front of him.

"Can I ask what this is ab-", but before he could finish, Flack brushed against his shoulder almost pushing him to the ground. He didn't have any time for a bus boy asking him stupid questions. He was mightypissed that last night turned out to be an almost complete loss of energy, and was completely done with wasting precious time.

"Annabelle Boye?" Flack asked.

A pretty blonde girl casted her piercing blue eyes upon both detectives, and shoved her trey with clean wine glasses to the side of the table. She straightened her back and curiously ran her eyes over the men standing in front of her. She didn't put any effort into answering them, but simply nodded.

"NYPD", Flack continued. "Detective Don Flack and Danny Messer", and when he flipped open his police badge for her to see, the girl's eyes widened in surprise.

"We're you harassed by two boys on the subway last night around, _say_, 10 p.m.", Danny asked matter-of-factly.

"It wasn't that bad", she said, clearly nervous about her being asked a lot of questions.

"Right…" Danny muttered. _It wasn't that bad. She should be goddamn thankful for Jo helping her out._ "That woman who helped you out last night on the subway… she's in the hospital", he stated. The girl, clearly shaken about that latest statement, swallowed hard and frantically moved her eyes back and forth.

"And we suspect the same boys of _beating_ her in there", Flack jumped in. "Do you know them?" he asked, and frowned his forehead, showing her he was serious. After having asked the million dollar question, he widened his eyes and bit his lip, impatiently awaiting for her answer. "_Come on. Come on…_" he silently whispered under his breath.

"No…", she replied, barely above a whisper.

Danny let out a long frustrated sigh and thought by himself that this just couldn't be happening. The worst case scenario was unrolling right in front of their eyes. "Are you sure about that?" He raised his voice in frustration. Annabelle was slightly taken aback by the bluntness of the detective Again, she didn't answer and merely nodded, along with an apologetic look in her eyes.

"Then how come they knew who _you _were?" Flack quickly cued in. "They called out your name, right?" Flack carefully observed her facial expressions, desperately searching for a slight hitch in the expression on her face.

"Probably because I was still wearing my name tag", she explained softly, touching her name tag that was hanging on the right side of her blouse. It slowly dawned on them her story was making sense, and there wasn't any discrepancy to be found in her story.

"Were did you go when you got off the subway?" Flack asked, not quite willing to give up yet.

"I waited for the next train to arrive. And that _woman_ you are talking about, immediately headed home", she answered.

"Did you see anything suspicious while you were waiting?" Flack asked.

"No… I just checked the timeline for the next train, and waited", she explained. "The next train arrived three minutes later." She cast away her eyes, and began setting up the table again.

Danny and Flack turned to each other and exchanged a knowing glance: _they were done_. "Okay, thank you for your cooperation" Flack and Danny ended the questioning and headed for the exit.

"That woman in the hospital…" Annabelle asked before they were able to get through the front door. "Who is she?"

"She's our boss", Danny replied. "And she's _not_ doing well", Flack tried to add guilt to the girl's consciousness, but it was in vein. The girl just stared back at them with amazed eyes and nodded quietly before getting back to work.

_- Mac's Office - _

Mac checked his calls again, but he still hadn't received a message from the hospital. He was left wondering why it took the treating doctor so long to make the much anticipated phone call. He was slowly losing his patience, and began rummaging through the file he was holding on to so fiercely. He desperately wanted to see Jo again, he missed her. Only thinking about her, made his heart clench together in an aching collection of despair. He didn't understand why he still wasn't allowed to go see her again. Only to see her sweet face, he'd take every single second he would be given. He ran his fingers over his tired eyelids and let out a shaky sigh. A light knock on his office door tossed him right back into the harsh morning light.

Mac looked up to see Flack standing outside his office. "Are you all right, buddy?" he anxiously asked, and gently approached.

"I… I'm fine. I'm just tired, that's all", he tried to drop the subject. _He wasn't fine_, but he wasn't about to throw his heart on the table just yet. No one of the team knew about his feelings for Jo, and he wanted to keep it that way, because it ought to complicate things even more.

Flack carefully made eye contact, and raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Are you sure we don't need to have a conversation… just us?" Flack tried to get Mac to open up about the fact that Jo's assault was clearly getting at him, harder than anyone had expected. Everybody of the team was left wondering why, although he and Lindsey had already talked about the slight suspicion they had about Mac and Jo's apparent platonic relationship. They knew they weren't dating yet, but something told them it couldn't last very long until they finally would. At least, that's what they hoped. But after last night, all of the cards had been thoroughly shuffled, and none of them really knew what to expect next.

"I'm _fine_", Mac continued to block of every attempt.

Flack grinned at the thought of _Jo_ handling this conversation. For her to give up the subject, hell had to freeze over first. He managed to suppress a silent chuckle, and decided to drop the subject and inform him about the conversation with Annabelle he had earlier that morning.

"She claims not to know those boys", Flack began.

"Could have seen that one coming", Mac sighed.

"So, what do we do next?"

"I have no idea…" Mac shook his head in disbelief. The room fell completely silent, both of them thinking about the fact that Jo's injuries might have been in vain.

"I need some air", Mac said, and slowly got up from his chair. He wandered into the hall, and felt his head spinning from the stress he had to endure. He was making his way up to the elevator, when he suddenly heard his name being shouted out loud.

"Mac!" Sheldon ran towards him and waved some papers in the air. "The lab just received an anonymous message from an untraceable e-mail account", Sheldon continued.

"We have two suspects."

_**Interesting. Time for the team to really get going. Reviews are appreciated, because I have no idea whether you are still reading/liking the story or not. Thanks for reading. I'll try to update soon. **_


	6. Chapter VI

**CHAPTER VI**

- The Computer Lab -

"Justin Cooper…" Adam floated his fingers over the keyboard of his personal computer and quickly typed in the name of the first suspect that Sheldon had come up with just minutes ago, while the entire team was nervously breathing down his neck.

"No record." He said as the database search ended up empty. "Mason Conrad…" He mumbled, typing in the information of the second suspect. The moment he pressed enter, the suspect's ample file unfolded on the big screen of the computer lab.

"Boom!" Danny shouted across the room.

"Shop lifting, vandalism, truancy, inebriation, …" Flack lifted his eyebrows in amazement as he read the extensive record of the young man out loud.

"Nice résumé." Danny jumped in, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Sixteen." Flack scoffed, as he ran his eyes further down the projection screen.

"Under aged." Danny denounced with a painful grimace on his face, as it dawned on him that a minor would require a more subtle approach.

"No problem," Flack turned towards Danny. "We'll pull out our velvet gloves." He grinned.

"Does he have any convictions to his name?" Mac cued in, moving away from the dark corner of the room he had been hiding out.

"Twice for assault and once for attempted rape." Flack checked the record.

"Pfew…" Danny sighed.

"Are we going to arrest these guys?" Flack asked, shifting his gaze towards the rest of the team quietly staring at the screen. Mac took another closer look at Masons record and shook his head in disbelief. The young man in the mug shot menacingly staring back at him might be the one who had taken full liberty to assault the one person he couldn't imagine his life without. He wasn't about to let him get away with the giant mess he had left behind. Mac felt his blood violently rushing under his skin. Finally, he let out a sigh and turned towards his team. "I'm not sure." Mac anxiously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Granted, he's sixteen," Flack immediately scooped in. "But in my book, he's a heavy criminal."

"I need to be absolutely positive first." Mac explained himself. "I mean, let's face it," He started pacing. "This tip came from an untraceable e-mail account. God knows who might have sent it in."

"No need to worry about that." Sheldon hopped into the room and joined the rest of the team. "I checked the register." He continued. "Their motorbikes were confiscated last week for driving without a license." He explained. The rest of the team realized this could be the loophole they needed.

"From both of them?" Danny curiously asked. Sheldon simply nodded with a content grin plastered on his face. Mac weighed the option of arresting them for a brief moment, and quickly gave in at the thought of finally putting an end to this case.

"Okay, bring them in under the pretext of them getting their motorbikes back," He started. "But they don't need to know that they are both suspected of assault." Mac clearly stated.

"Got it." Flack stated, and patted Danny on the shoulder. They had left the room before Mac had been able to turn around and give them the final ok.

Mac let out a weary sigh, and turned around towards to Lindsay, Sheldon and Adam. "And nobody in this lab has to know either." He warned all three of them. "I'm counting on your discretion." Lindsay's face sank into self-consciousness while she nervously shuffled her feet around. She scraped her throat to get Mac's attention, and she subtly nodded towards the hallway. Mac bewilderedly turned around, and saw half of the lab crew assembled just outside the door. "Great," He mumbled under his breath. "Thus far the discretion." He quickly made his way towards the tumultuous crowd.

"What's going on?" Mac sternly asked.

"Coffee break." One of the lab assistants answered.

"Oh, really," He nodded in false understanding. "All at the same time." He raised his voice causing it to crack from exhaustion.

The lab assistants didn't really pay attention to Mac's presence and bluntly continued their conversations. Sheldon breathed out and nervously shook his head. "This isn't good." He uttered.

"People," Mac exclaimed. "People, I know what's going on in your heads right now. Trust me, I do. But if you keep standing in this hallway, you are making it impossible for us to do our job." He continued. "So, please, go away." Mac tried one last time. He felt like he was going to explode. But when the first lab assistants hesitantly moved away down the hall, the rest reluctantly followed. "Thank you." Mac whispered. He turned around to the rest of his team and quietly urged them to follow him. "Lindsay, Sheldon, come on. We have some suspects to interrogate."

- Interrogation Room 1 -

"Sit." Danny commanded their first suspect while slowly sitting down next to Flack. "So, Mason…" Flack began, looking at Mason's file. "It seems…"

"Am I getting my motorbike back?" Mason interrupted.

"The paperwork is for later," Flack calmly answered. "You and I are going to have a little talk first." He continued.

Mason rolled his eyes, and reluctantly shook his head. "Yeah, well, I want my ride back."

"And we are very happy about that" Danny bended forward over the table. "At least the subway will be safe again." Danny finally caught Masons attention and quickly continued. "Did you take the subway last night?"

"Something wrong with that?" Mason crossed his arms.

"What did you do after that?" Flack cued in.

"I don't remember." Mason answered.

Danny brusquely shoved his chair backwards, and immediately walked towards the other side of the room. He menacingly circled around Mason, and took hold of his chair.

"No?" Flack asked surprised. "I'll refresh your memory. Two women got off, and just when the train was about to leave again, you hit the alarm button."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do I have to pay a fine?" Mason laughed.

Danny quickly reached for the cap that Mason was wearing, and violently threw it to the ground.

"I don't care about the fine." Flack shook his shoulders. "I want to know what you did after you got off that train." He stated.

"That's none of your damn business." Mason snarled.

Danny took hold of Mason shoulders, and aggressively bended over. "Answer his question," He raged. "Answer his goddamn question." Just as Danny felt that he was going to lose control, the door swung open and Mac entered the room. His presence was sudden, but immediately filled up the room with an authoritative atmosphere. Danny quickly let go of Masons shirt, but instead of being reproached, he got Mac's unexpected support.

"Answer his question." Mac said.

"Your dedectives are harassing me." Mason turned to Mac.

"Answer his question." Mac sternly gazed towards Mason.

"We went for a drink." Mason sighed in defeat.

"Where?" Flack asked.

"The Cornelia café." Mason answered.

"That should be easy to verify. Danny, could you please make the phone call." Mac looked across the room. Danny silently nodded and swiftly went out the door.

"Can I go now?" Mason tried to stand up, but Mac threw him right back in his chair.

Mason scoffed, and ran his one hand through his hair. "You can't do anything to me. I'm a minor." He grinned.

Flack and Mac looked at each other, trying to confirm what they just heard.

- Interrogation Room 2 –

"Turn around. I need your profile." Lindsay commanded, prepping her photo camera for another mug shot. "I said turn around." She yelled.

Justin rolled his eyes, and reluctantly looked the other way.

"So, Justin." Sheldon began. "There are two ways for you to get out of here. As a witness, or as an accomplice."

Justin sighed, and turned his gaze towards the ceiling.

"Look, Justin." Lindsay scooped in. "Just tell us what happened last night, and we'll leave you alone." She calmly spoke. "You don't have a record, and if you testify against Mason, it'll stay that way."

"When you choose not to," Sheldon continued. "You'll probably end up in a youth institution. Who knows where you mind end up?" Sheldon tried Justin to open up, but the boy continued to give them the silent treatment.

"Come on, Justin!" Lindsay exclaimed. "You didn't do it. It was Mason." She said, clearly irritated.

"I am not a tell-tale." Justin finally spoke.

"All right then." Lindsay threw her hands in the air. " It's settled: you are an accomplice. Fine by me." Lindsay picked up the camera and angrily started walking towards the door.

Sheldon followed. "You are only punishing yourself." He said to Mason.

"I'm a minor." Justin scoffed, and turned away.

- Interrogation Room 1 –

"I have right to a confidiant." Mason stated.

"For what? I thought you came here voluntarily?" Flack spoke.

"You are well aware of your rights, Mr. Conrad." Mac said.

"Yes, I am." Mason gazed back at Mac. "And later, I'll call my lawyer. And if there's something that is not happening according to procedure, he will come and get you. Both of you." Mason threatened.

"Oh, you got me scared now." Flack mocked.

Suddenly Danny came knocking on the door, and gestured Flack and Mac to come outside.

"He's not lying about his alibi." Danny sighed.

"At what time did they enter the café?" Mac asked.

"Well, the bartender isn't really sure, but it had to have been between 10.30 and 11 p.m."

"That's the time when Jo got attacked." Flack stated.

Hearing Jo's name send shivers across Mac's spine. He put his hands in his pockets, and balled them into hard fists. Lindsay and Sheldon came out the interrogation room, and quickly walked towards the rest of the team.

"So, what's his story?" Flack asked.

"I'm guessing the same as Masons. They went out for a drink." Lindsay sighed.

"We have to let them go." Mac ordered.

"Oh come on," Lindsay snapped at Mac. "They could have attacked Jo, and went for a drink afterwards."

"And I believe you," Mac violently turned towards Lindsay. "But as long as we don't have proof, they have an alibi." Mac shouted.

"You are giving up." Lindsay stated in true disbelief. Mac felt his blood starting to boil, and nervously shuffled his feet against the floor. He settled his eyes on Lindsay's face, and was about to answer when Flack came between them. "Hey, come on," He said. "Don't." He cast his gaze towards Mac.

Mac looked at the ground, and sighed heavily. "I… I am sorry." He looked at Lindsay. "I am just really tired."

"I know." Lindsay faintly smiled. "I guess we could all use some sleep."

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea." Sheldon said softly.

"I… I have to go." Mac turned around, and quickly ran towards the toilets across the hallway. He slammed the doors open, and sank down to his knees in one of the booths. He felt his insides burning, and thought he was going to faint. The tears violently stabbed his eyelids, and he began to have trouble breathing. He tried to suck in all the air he could, but the damage was already done. He felt his stomach turn around, and a rush of hot panic surged through his throat. He bended over the toilet seat, and threw up.

- Author's note –

_The next chapter will be exclusively Mac/Jo. I give you my word. Reviews and suggestions are much appreciated, as always. _


	7. Chapter VII

**CHAPTER VII**

**- The lab -**

Officially twenty-four hours had passed since Jo's attack, and regardless of their best efforts the team hadn't been able to make headway. In the late afternoon, they had been obligated to release their only two suspects, and it didn't seem like the situation was about to clear up any time soon. Even more so, the case had become so hopeless, that the entire team had decided to take a couple hours away from work to get some sleep.

Even Mac hadn't been able to stay focused during the day, and his fear of failure had become the better of him. For the first time, in a very long time, his body had collapsed under the stress. Instead of going home after his breakdown at the precinct, he had retired to the leather couch in Jo's office where he could still feel her presence around him. He hadn't told anyone of his team, his friends, about his miserable state of being. He had to be as steady as a rock for them, that's what they all needed. Not some wretched, scared animal, hiding away in a distant corner. It didn't matter how miserable he felt, he wouldn't let it show. He just couldn't. That'd be nothing like him. But the thought of not being able to punish the person who did this to Jo, made his mind spin. He tried not to think about it too much, but failed miserably with every passing second. How could he ever face her again if he'd fail her like that? He had wished for Jo to be by his side, because she'd know what to do. She always did. She completed him.

It took him two and a half hours to finally fall asleep. However, his much-needed rest was short-lived, as a slightly vibrating noise started to fill the room. Mac tried to open his eyes to detect where the irritating sound was coming from, but his eyelids felt like they were glued together. He reached for his pants and clumsily retrieved his cell phone out of his back pocket.

"Mac Taylor." He mumbled under his breath, while trying to sit up straight on the couch.

"_Mr. Taylor,"_ The voice at the other end of the line began. _"This is Dr. Geralds, Jo's treating physician. Sorry to disturb you at this time of night."_ He apologized.

"No, no, that's okay." Mac cleared his throat. He glanced over to his watch, and it slowly dawned on him that only three hours had passed since he had last closed his eyes. He squeezed his eyelids together, and desperately tried to ignore the bursting headache that was beginning to push against his skull. "How is she?" Mac anxiously asked, only hoping for the best. It might only have been twenty hours ago since he had last laid eyes on Jo, but it seemed like an eternity. He had grown used to seeing her every day of the week, and to all the little moments between them.

"_Well, I'm glad to inform you her memory has surfaced."_ Dr. Geralds exclaimed optimistically.

"Really?" Mac couldn't believe what he had just heard. "That's great news." He stood up and started pacing around Jo's office.

"_It is."_ Dr. Geralds confirmed. _"I guess the imposed bed rest has really paid off. If you'd like to come see her in the morning__…__"_ He continued.

"No," Mac quickly interrupted. "No, no…" He softly whispered again. He could not wait another second.

"_I don't see why it should be a problem to__…__"_ Dr. Geralds began, trying to get an explanation out of Mac.

"I was hoping to come over tonight." Mac clarified, reaching for his jacket dangling on Jo's office chair. He bit his lip, subconsciously anticipating a possible negative answer.

"_Well__…__"_ Dr. Geralds began.

"Look," Mac started walking through the empty hall towards the elevator. "It would mean the world to me." He tried one last time. If begging was the only way to get to see Jo, than that's what he was about to do. He didn't care anymore. "And to my team." He added, swallowing the big lump that had accumulated in his throat.

"_I suppose it would be okay if you'd come over in the next hour."_ Dr. Geralds finally gave in.

"Already on my way." Mac informed, hitting the elevator button as hard as he could.

* * *

><p><strong>- The hospital -<strong>

The doctors had moved Jo from intensive care to a quieter recovery room. As Mac wandered around the dim lit hallways, he wondered how long it would take for Jo to be discharged out of this hospital. Mac couldn't wait to get her out of here, and maybe take her home with him. He'd love to take care of her. As he entered her room, Jo was still peacefully asleep in bed. Her face and neckline had turned bluer, and the parts of her face where she had taken the horrible beating had turned into a rougher shape. She looked broken, but still so beautiful and serene in Mac's eyes. Mac carefully crept forward into her room, but awoke her by hitting his foot against a table. "Hey…" Jo whispered, slowly rousing out of her deep sleep.

"Hey." Mac slid up a chair next to her. Seeing her again, made his heart fill up with gladness.

"No flowers?" She spoke heavily disappointed. Mac didn't realize she was just mocking him, and his face turned in a shameful white. _How could he be so stupid?_ "I…I…" Mac stuttered.

"Oh Mac," Jo quickly interrupted. "I was just kidding." She scanned his face thoroughly and soon realized something had to be seriously wrong for Mac to be so contrite and overly sensitive. "Are you okay?" Jo asked concerned.

Mac felt defeated, and amazed at the same time. It had taken her merely ten seconds to see right through him. He couldn't hide anything from her. "I should be asking you that question." He quickly tried to divert the question.

"I'm lying in a hospital bed. I think it's fairly obvious how I'm doing. Now answer my question." She persisted.

Mac's eyes fell to the ground, as his eyes became heavy with tears. _Damn it. Keep it together. Don't break down. Not now._ He didn't know how to tell her that he and the team had gotten nowhere. She had trusted in him, like she always did. And now he had betrayed that trust. He had failed her. But there was just no way of trying to hide it from her. "Mac, look at me." She spoke.

"I…" Mac let out a heavy sigh. "The case has come to a deadlock." He admitted.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. Measure once, cut twice, right?" She chuckled. "I believe in you."

"I know." Mac said. _That's what makes this so damn hard._

"So, how's your memory?" Mac quickly changed the subject. The atmosphere in the room immediately turned to a darker shade as Mac noticed how Jo's face collapsed in sadness. "It all came back." Jo spoke as her gaze floated outside the small hospital windows. "Unfortunately." She started picking at her blanket, trying to push out the pain of all the bad memories. Mac brought out the mug shots of the two suspects that they had held in custody earlier today. "Do you recognize these boys?" He held up the photos.

Jo turned her head, and threw a glance at the two Polaroid's. She nodded. "Ye-yes," she stammered. "Those are the boys that I ran into on the subway." She turned her head towards Mac. "I'm guessing they didn't confess?"

"No," Mac sighed. "They have an alibi." Mac laid the photos on the nightstand. "Not a watertight alibi, but we didn't have enough evidence to prove they're guilty."

"I'm sorry." Jo said.

"Your testimony is the only thing that could help us put them away." Mac continued. "Are you sure that these boys attacked you?" Jo slightly nodded, but not convincingly enough for Mac to believe it. "Are you absolutely sure?" Jo fell quiet, as she squeezed her blanket even harder. "Oh, Mac..." Her voice broke into pieces, and tears started accumulating under her eyelids. "It all happened so fast. They put a bag over my head." A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"So, how were you able to see their faces?" Mac asked softly.

Jo looked away again. She was so angry with herself for not knowing.

"You didn't?" Mac asked rhetorically.

"I only felt them." Jo spoke in a low voice. Mac swallowed hard, as it started to dawn on him how hard Jo must have suffered in that alley. He should have been there to protect her. "It may only have lasted twenty seconds," Jo continued. "But it seemed hours." She blinked away her tears. "I thought I was going to die. I really did. I was so relieved when they ran away."

"What did you do next?" Mac tried to wrap his mind around the whole situation.

"Apparently I called 911, but I can't remember." Jo claimed.

"But you remember all the rest?" Mac's question sounded judgmental, even though he didn't intended it to.

"I'm sorry. I am not really helping. I am a lousy witness, aren't I?" Jo felt ashamed. As an experienced detective she should know better.

Mac laid his hand on Jo's arm and gently squeezed it. He locked eyes with Jo, and threw her an apologetic smile. Mac pulled out his cell phone, and swiftly dialed Adam's number. "Adam, go to the transmission center and request an audio copy of Jo's 911 call." He started "Thanks." Mac sat down in his chair. Jo was looking at the photos again, and he could discern the disgust in her eyes.

Mac took hold of Jo's shoulder and squeezed it, but was stopped by Jo's bitter cry of pain.

"Au-aaau…" She held still and waited for the stabbing pain to subside.

"I'm sorry." Mac immediately apologized.

"That's okay," Jo slowly reached for Mac's hand, and carefully enveloped it in hers. Her thumb gently stroked the back of his hand, as he intertwined his fingers with hers. The feel of her skin sent colt shivers trough Mac's spine, and he couldn't help but notice that there was something so titillating about Jo's touch. "It'll get better…" she softly whispered. They were having one of their moments again, in which their attraction violently flared up and bursted out of its tight confines. They were so close, almost breathing in each other's being.

Their eyes interlocked and a bolt of electricity raged through the room. In that brief instant, there had been an implicit consent, a muted exchange of _I love you's_. No words had been spoken, but they _knew_. They could feel the bliss of their mutual love creeping under their skin and into their bones. The imminence of their yearning made their blood rush through their hot-boiled body.

But again, the moment passed all to soon, and their radiating joy quickly slid away through their fingers, like dusty sand through an hourglass. Security gave away to fear again, and the love-light that had shone upon them faded into non-existence. They were back to reading each other's expressions again. _Did I really see what I think I saw? Or am I just imagining it? Could it be that she feels the same way?_ Mac figured that Jo probably felt extremely vulnerable, and that she was merely in need of a friendly shoulder. _Nothing more._ What Mac didn't realize was that he was too afraid to see what was right in front of him. So he shut his eyes once again, and let blindness come over him. The blindness he had grown accustomed to over the years. He led go of her hand, and silently gave up hope of ever becoming one with her. The fear always got the better of him. That's what the lonely years in social isolation did to him.

Mac was so caught up in his whirling thoughts that he didn't hear his phone ringing. "Mac…" Jo tried to bring him back. "What?" Mac asked confused. "Your phone is ringing." Jo said. It took Mac a few moments, before he finally reached in his pocket and retrieved his cell phone. "Taylor." He answered the phone. "Adam..." Mac stood up from his chair and started to pace around the room. "Are you sure?" Mac glanced over to Jo. "Okay." Mac hung up the phone. He stepped over to Jo's bed, and threw her a caring smile. The room fell silent for a while, as neither of them knew how to restore the serene atmosphere that Mac had broken off just minutes ago. _The moment was gone._

"I'd better get going." He broke the long-stretched silence between them.

"No," Jo started protesting. "You don't have to." She reached out for him.

"It's almost midnight." Mac said. "You need your rest." He explained.

Jo felt a wave of panic crashing into her abdomen when she saw how Mac was already making his way to the door. She couldn't believe this was happening. Just minutes ago the air between them had gotten so heated, that it had felt like his lips were finally going to crash into hers. She wanted it so bad. They had never been so close to finally giving in to each other. But now the moment had fled, and she wasn't sure if it was ever going to turn back. Jo mentally kicked herself for not making a move, but then again, Mac obviously didn't feel the same way. Sooner or later she'd have to come to terms with that.

"Goodnight." Mac displayed one of his cutest smiles. _I love you._

"Goodnight, Mac." _I love you._

* * *

><p><strong>- Author's note -<strong>

I put really great effort into this chapter, so it would be nice of you to tell me what you thought. Your reviews are like a reward to me. I would like to thank the people who already commented on my writing. I've kept your tips in mind while writing this chapter. Note that I'm a non-native English speaker, so I could still make some mistakes without even knowing it.

In the next chapter you are finally going to find out what happened to Jo. So stay tuned, and find out if Mac will be able to build up the strength to put an end to their mutual insecurities and finally tell Jo how he feels about her. I'll try to hurry up. Thank you for your loyalty.


	8. Chapter VIII

**CHAPTER VIII**

* * *

><p><em>This is officially the first part of the story's grand finale. In order to make sense of the story, I have chosen for a fairly detailed and accurate time lapse.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>- The Computer Lab, 1.17 a.m. - <strong>

After Adam's phone call in the hospital, Mac had immediately turned back to the lab to find out what the lab tech had found out. He had wanted to stay with Jo for the night, but he figured that he wouldn't have known what to do with himself if he had sticked around any longer. He first had to make up his mind about his crackling feelings towards her, before he could enjoy himself again around her. He was getting tired of avoiding the ultimate confrontation between him and Jo, which could either lead up to a wonderful relationship or an entirely altered friendship.

"What have you got?" Mac asked as he decisively stepped into the computer lab.

"You're… fast." Adam mumbled as he laid aside his finished report. "I requested Jo's 911 call," Adam started as he pulled up the audio file from his computer. "Listen carefully, the call is relatively short." Adam pressed enter, and the file started playing.

_"An assault... a… at… the… at 44th street. An am… ambulance, quick."_

The woman in the audio track sounded confused and frightened, and she was chaotically looking for the right words to say. She struggled to built up a coherent sentence and constantly fell over her words. She wasn't sure if she had named the right street, and started panicking. But more importantly, the woman's voice in the audio track wasn't Jo's. Mac noticed it sounded more youthful, and a lot higher. Not as wise, and mature. _Not as sexy._

"But… that's not Jo." Mac exclaimed confused, as he looked up to Adam, searching for answers.

"No..." Adam confirmed. "But the call was made with Jo's cell phone."

"That's awfully strange." Mac pondered.

"I'm guessing a passerby picked up her phone and called 911." Adam tried to find a rational explanation for the unusual situation.

"Could be," Mac started pacing around the computer lab. "But why didn't that woman just call with her own phone? And why didn't she stay with Jo?" Mac asked out loud. "The paramedics claimed that when they arrived on the scene, nobody else was there."

Adam didn't really have a response to Mac's assertions. Again, all they were left with were questions. More and more questions, but no one to answer them. Mac tried to think, but he was cut off by another throbbing headache. Adam noticed how his boss was rubbing his head in pain. "I'll try to find a match," Adam tried to help him out. "But I can't give you any guarantees." He apologized in advance.

"Let me know if you find something…" Mac turned around and was about to leave the room when Adam stepped forward and called out for him. "Did you went to see Jo tonight?" Adam asked curiously, and concerned at the same time.

Mac let out an inward sigh. _How did Adam even figure that out? _

"Yes, I did." He admitted. "She's doing better." He lied, immediately answering Adam's next question before Adam even had the chance to ask it.

"You think it's okay for me and the others to go see her tomorrow." Adam asked.

"I don't think you'll be allowed by her doctor." Mac answered. "He already made an exception for me."

"Really?" Adam playfully grinned.

"To ask her some _questions_." Mac responded severely, which made Adam cringe in embarrassment.

"O-off course..." Adam stuttered, trying hard to rectify the situation.

"Let me know if you have a match." Mac eased up a little, and walked out of the door.

* * *

><p><strong>- The Hospital, 7.46 a.m. - <strong>

Jo woke up to the harsh morning light creeping to curtains. Even after sleeping the entire day and night through, she was as still as exhausted as she could be. A flash of pain shot through her skull when the daylight crashed into her retina. She quickly shut her eyes and tried to turn around, but the pain in her ribs and shoulders was too severe to make any sudden movements. She had lied still in her bed for what seemed like forever, and the muscles in her entire body had started to sore up at an aggravating pace. She felt absolutely miserable, and on top of that, her mind was anything but in the right place. During the night she had suffered from several nightmares, making her end up in cold sweat every time. She had dreamt the same thing over and over again. Her dreams were always centered around the returning fear of danger and the freight of being violently dragged out of her secure comfort zone again. And every time, there was nobody there to protect her. She had also got scared for her children to end up in danger. If she hadn't been able to defend herself, than how would her kids be able to?

Jo realized the only way she was ever going to feel safe again and put a rest to her incessant compulsive train of thoughts, was when she would build up the strength to face what happened to her. During the time she had already spent in de hospital, she had gathered a couple of ideas. She could go see a therapist, for example, or take a couple more lessons in defense techniques. But in the end of the day, she wasn't really convinced those things would help her get over her traumatic experience. She was too self-aware, and too damn stubborn for therapy anyway.

Jo figured there was only one more solution left. It wasn't the easy way out. On the contrary, if she'd decide to go through with it, it would be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do in her life. But she wanted to be strong and face her demons, and maybe set an example for others to come.

Jo slowly reached over to her nightstand, and picked up her cell phone. She briefly made up her mind about who to call to ask for help. After she had decided, she dialed the privileged number and carefully held her phone to her ear.

"Lindsay Messer." The voice greeted on the other end of the line.

"Hey…" Jo spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Jo? Is that you?" Lindsay asked amazed and excited at the same time.

"The only and only." Jo quietly chuckled. Learning how excited Lindsay was to hear from her, Jo just couldn't help but smile. Over the last year, she and Lindsay had become very close. It had taken the sole two women in the team some time to grow accustomed to each other, but nowadays they were as close as they'd ever be. "Oh my god! It's so good to hear from you. How are you doing?" Lindsey asked in a sweet voice.

Jo sighed inwardly as she realized she didn't have any positive news to report. "Well…I'm doing better." She found her way out with an easy white lie.

"I'm glad to hear that." Lindsay stated. "Mac told us that we couldn't come to visit you yet." She angled for a confirmation. "No, not yet." Jo said. "Although they made an exception for Mac."

"I see…" Lindsay tried her best to suppress a fit of laughter. _Off course they did. Obviously._

"I'm actually calling to ask you a favor." Jo bit her lip and hoped that the answer on her next question would be positive. Her future state of mind entirely depended on Lindsay now.

"O-oh…" Lindsay stammered, as she didn't expect this turn of conversation. "Well… what is it?" She asked.

"I…" Jo closed her eyes, desperately looking for the right words. "I'd like to…" Jo stopped mid-sentence. She wasn't really sure she wanted to do this.

"Jo, just tell me." Lindsay reassured her.

"Okay…" Jo decided to just go ahead and ask her. "If you find enough evidence to prove that those two boys from the subway attacked me-" She paused briefly. "I'd like to meet them." After Jo had finished her sentence, it got awfully quiet at the other end of the line. Lindsay was lost for words. "Lindsay?" Jo called out.

"Meet them… as in: come face to face with them?" Lindsay asked for a clarification.

"Yeah…" Jo spoke softly, quietly waiting for Lindsay to speak up.

"Oh, Jo…" Lindsay started.

"Look," Jo immediately interrupted "I'm asking you because…"

"Because you don't want Mac to find out." Lindsay finished Jo's sentence. Off course Jo didn't want Mac to find out. He would never in a million years authorize a meeting of that sort. Not only because it wasn't according to protocol, but also because he was too protective of her. Even if she'd tell him that this wasn't a want but a need, he surely would try and change her mind. "I want you to know that it is very important to me. I thought long and hard about it." Jo tried to reason.

Lindsay tried to wrap her head around why Jo wanted to do something like this. Not only was it slightly unlawful, but it also was incredibly hard and extremely terrifying. "Oh well," Lindsey finally spoke up. "When I get fired, I'll at least be able to spent more time with my daughter."

"You almost make it sound like a win-win situation." Jo chortled. "Look, I know I'm asking for much, but…"

"I'll make it work." Lindsay said.

Jo couldn't believe her ears. She hadn't expected for Lindsay to give in without making a big fuss about it. Apparently, she had a better friend in Lindsay than she realized. "Thank you." Jo whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>- Conference Room, 10.00 a.m. -<strong>

After Adam's failed efforts to find a match to the audio file, Mac had summoned another conference meeting. It wasn't like he had any major progress to report, but he wanted to put the heads of his team together one last time.

"Okay, so…" Mac sighed heavily as he looked up at his team. "Mason Conrad and Justin Cooper have denied to have anything to do with Jo's assault." He repeated yesterday's events. "But I don't believe them. It was clear from the beginning that Jo wasn't robbed, so ulterior motives are at play here." Mac stated confidently.

"Mason and Justin have a motive. The fact that Jo kept them from assaulting Annabelle must've pissed them off pretty badly." Flack scooped in.

"But to prove they're guilty, I need some solid evidence first." Mac reminded his team.

"I requested Jo's 911 call, and it turned out that Jo didn't make the call. Someone else did it for her." Adam spoke up.

"But there was nobody on the scene?" Sheldon furrowed his brows.

"Could you play the audio for us?" Danny requested.

"Sure." Adam stood up from up his chair, and walked over to his computer. He pulled up the file once more, and let it play.

_"An assault... a… at… the… at 44th street. An am… ambulance, quick."_

"You got to be kidding me, right?" Flack said astonished, immediately looking over to Danny.

Danny sat up straight in his chair and shook his head in disbelief. "I don't think so." He managed in his thick accent.

"What's wrong?" Lindsay asked.

"That woman in the audio," Danny started. "That's Annabelle."

As soon as Danny spoke out her name, the entire room gasped for air. "Are you sure?" Mac's heart started beating faster.

"A hundred percent." Flack confirmed.

"I guess Mason and Justin aren't the only ones lying to us, then." Adam said matter-of-factly.

Mac breathed out, and closed his eyes for a while. He rubbed his eyelids, while trying to figure out what to do next. "Bring her in for interrogation." Mac eventually ordered.

* * *

><p><strong>- Interrogation Room, 4.45 p.m. -<strong>

_"An assault... a… at… the… at 44th street. An am… ambulance, quick."_

"That's you isn't it?" Flack hit the pause button of the audiotape and looked up to the girl sitting right in front of him. "…Annabelle." Flack couldn't believe this was happening. It was only yesterday, when he and Danny had interrogated her at the Loeb Boathouse. She had bluntly blown them off, and had gone on the record stating that she didn't have any idea what could've happened to Jo. Flack was mighty pissed. How could she not have told them the truth? This giant impasse could've been diverted if she had just told them what happened.

"How do you explain that, Anabelle?" Flack asked irritated.

Annabelle's eyes were glued to the ground, as she was nervously picking at the sleeves of her leather jacket. Her eyes mirrored a sense of guilt, but also an elusive anxiety. Her lips quivered under the great pressure that was being put upon her. She stayed absolutely still, hoping for the questions to go away eventually.

"You got off the subway, and stayed at the platform until the next train arrived." Mac scooped in. "That's what you've told us." Mac waited for Annabelle to raise her head, but it was in vain. She kept on staring to the floor. Mac was growing more impatient by the minute. This girl had a lot of guts. First she had bluntly lied to their faces, and now she was unwilling to cooperate.

"So, _tell me_…" Mac sarcastically asked. "How were you able to call an ambulance with Jo's cell phone?" Annabelle kept quiet as a scared mouse waiting for its escape route. Mac shuffled in his chair and violently started tapping his fingers on the table.

"You were there, weren't you?" Flack tried again.

"And that anonymous e-mail, that was you." Mac immediately scooped in, pointing his finger at her. "You saw what happened, and anonymously sent in the names of Mason Conrad and Justin Cooper."

"Hey," Flack sped up the pace of the interrogation. "Annabelle?"

Annabelle felt a stinging sensation creeping up her nose, as tears started accumulating in her eyes. She kept on looking to the ground. Her sight grew blurry and little sobs started to travel up her throat. She tried to ignore her name being called over and over again, but her efforts were to no avail. "_Annabelle?_" Flack continued calling her name.

"What do you want from me?" She finally lifted her head, and broke down in tears.

"We're stuck, Annabelle. We know who's responsible for Jo's assault, but we can't prove it. You are our only witness." Flack explained. "Our only hope of ever solving this case." Annabelle covered her mouth with her hand, as she desperately tried to get her heavy sobbing under control. "I realize this isn't easy." Flack said, showing a little bit more compassion. "They know who you are, and they know your name. You're afraid of revenge." Flack finished, patiently waiting for her to speak up. Annabelle wiped her tears away, and lightly nodded her head.

"Jo helped you out," Mac uttered. "If you don't stick out your neck, those two bastards will remain unpunished."

"_How could it be otherwise?_" Annabelle whispered under her breath. Mac glanced over to Flack, to verify what he had just heard. "What do you mean?" Mac asked. And as soon as he asked the question, it all fell together. He closed his eyes, and a wave of instant sympathy for the girl rushed over him as she started crying again.

"Did they assault you too?" Flack asked compassionately.

"A few months ago…" She said in between her cries. "Mason put a bag over my head." She paused momentarily, as Flack handed her a tissue. "Touching, everywhere."

"Did you file a complaint?" Mac asked.

"Yes, but nothing came of it." She said, trying to steady her breathing again. "Apparently it wasn't important enough."

"Annabelle, look at me." Flack spoke. "This time we'll punish him. I promise you."

"Mason is deranged. It'll only get worse. You have to stop him." Mac told her.

"I waited on the platform." Annabelle courageously spoke up after a while. "They must've pushed the alarm button, because they got off when the train had already started moving. I immediately tried to warn that woman, but I was already to late."

Annabelle thought about what she was going to say next, but the desire to finally punish the two bastards who had assaulted her got the better of her.

"It was Mason and Justin."

Mac leaned back in his chair, as he felt a giant weight being lifted off his shoulders. During the past two days, this was the moment they had all been waiting for so badly. God, he felt relieved. He closed his eyes, and leaned his head back. He felt an immense rush of blood to his head, as his thoughts slowly became lighter.

Flack stood up, and went for the door. He wanted to tell the rest of the team the good news. "She appointed them as the perpetrators." He immediately uttered. The whole team sighed out of relieve, and let out little shrieks of delight.

"That's just wonderful." Sheldon let out, as Mac came out of the interrogation room as well.

"Danny, Flack, go ahead and arrest them." Mac boded. "But be careful, I don't want any accidents."

As Mac walked away around the corner, Lindsay quickly stepped up to the rest of the team to tell them about her earlier conversation with Jo. She would need all the help she could get to bring Jo to the precinct without Mac's knowledge. "Do you guys have a minute?"

* * *

><p><strong>- The lab, 7.08 p.m. -<strong>

It had taken Danny and Flack only a half an hour to arrest Mason and Justin. And with Annabelle's testimony to back them up, they had only needed a few minutes to get Mason to confess to the assault. Justin had followed the earlier advice of Sheldon and Lindsay, and testified against Mason. The case was officially closed, and the entire team was finally able to come up for some air. "What about we all got a drink?" Flack asked. "To celebrate."

"Oh, that sounds like a _really_ good idea," Lindsay started. "But we can't." She said, and quickly poked Danny in the back. "Yeah…" Danny hesitantly chopped in, not really sure what to say. "We don't have a sitter for Lucy." He quickly talked his way out of it.

"We're _so sorry_." Lindsay faked sincerity.

"That's okay." Flack pretended not to know about their plans for tonight. "What about you, Adam?" He turned to face the other members of the team. "Sheldon?"

"Yeah, I'm in." Adam shouted enthusiastically.

"Definitely." Sheldon responded.

"Mac?" Everybody turned towards Mac, as they were all trying their absolute best to get him to go with them.

"I'm not sure…" Mac started.

The truth was that Mac really wanted to see Jo again, although he didn't really know what he would say to her. What if they had one of their moments again? What if she came to close this time, and he wouldn't be able to hold back anymore? These were all legitimate questions that he soon had to find an answer to.

"Oh, come on…" Flack tapped Mac's shoulder. "It'll be fun. Let off some steam." He threw his hand in the air.

"Sure, why not." He eventually sighed in defeat. Lindsay jumped up from joy, but immediately retained herself.

"Okay, great!" Flack spoke, as a huge grin spread across his face.

* * *

><p><strong>- Bar, 9.30 p.m. - <strong>

Mac wasn't in the mood for celebrations. Although he was glad they had finally rounded up the case, and put away the bastards who had violated Jo, he couldn't help but think his hardest task was yet to come. These past couple of days he had been able to hide away behind Jo's case, delaying the moment of truth considerably. But now the case was closed, there were no reasons left to invent. Mac ordered another glass of scotch, as he let the noise around him enter his head.

"Are you thinking about Jo?" Flack asked, as he slid up a bar stool next to his buddy. Mac sighed inwardly, as he realized Flack wanted to start a conversation. He must be worried, or curious. Mac had been staring down at his glass for an eternity. He figured it must have attracted attention at some point during the evening. "Is it that obvious?" Mac turned towards his colleague.

"You love her, don't you?" Mac raised his eyebrows in amazement, as he was taken aback by Flack's blunt question. He snickered softly, and turned away his gaze. That's it, he thought to himself. _It's truth time_. Flack scanned Mac's face for some kind of affirmation, and the long silence that followed his straightforward question was all he really needed.

"I don't know what to do." Mac looked down into the swirling gold of his scotch, and ran his fingers along the edge of his glass.

"Yes, you do." Flack lightly smiled. Mac tore his gaze away from his glass and looked straight ahead. "I… really…" Mac let out a long sigh and turned around to face Flack's piercing eyes. Mac realized he was right, he did know what to do. He had to tell her. He had to man up, and just tell her and be there for her. "I just don't want to mess things up between her and me." He whispered.

"There's just no way, Mac." Flack grimaced. Deep down, Mac had to admit Flack had a point. Even if she didn't feel the same way, she would never hold his honesty against him. Maybe it wasn't so much telling her that scared him, but being rejected and being left alone again. If she wouldn't want to pursue a relationship with him, he would not only lose her love, but also his hope for happiness.

"Don't you think you have wasted enough time in that troublesome self-inflicted isolation of yours?" Flack asked.

"Last time I crept out of it, it hit me right back in the face." Mac referred to Peyton.

"Granted, but tell me… If you were to put your heart on the line one last time, wouldn't it be for her?"

"Off course it would", he quietly breathed out.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"You shouldn't be afraid to admit you don't know what to do." Flack said as he stared into the distance. "In the end of the day, we just try and carry the weight of our loved one's. Nothing more, nothing less. Just trying to get through the day." Mac was taken a little aback by Flack's open heartedness. He suddenly realized how extraordinary it was for Flack to open up about his feelings. Ever since Jess died, he had never been so blunt about his conception of love.

Flack cell phone suddenly started vibrating, as he received a message. Flack quickly scooped up his phone, and read the text: "_We're ready. Linds._"

"_Just_… go for it." Flack started to pack his things. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket, and threw a ten-dollar bill across the counter. He slid of his stool and squeezed Mac's shoulder in a sympathetic gesture. "See you tomorrow."

As Flack turned around and headed for the exit, Mac closed his eyes in an attempt to block out his raging thoughts. He listened to the people chatting and laughing around him in the cafe, and thought it should be him sitting among them. He_ did_ want things to change, because he was so tired of being alone. He just had to tell her how he felt. If he wasn't to do it now, he'd never have a chance of real love again. He combed his fingers through his hair and breathed in a long stretch of air. It was then that he noticed the song playing on the radio, and he concentrated in an attempt to make out the words that were filling the air with a gloomily atmosphere.

_If I had a gun, I'd shoot a hole into the sun and love will burn this city down for you. If I had the time, I'd stop the world and make you mine and everyday would stay the same with you._

Mac felt like the whole universe was crashing down on him. Even this ordinary song on the radio was trying to tell him to step up and secure his future with the love of his life.

_Give you back the dream, show you now what might had been, if all the tears you cry would fade away. I'll be by your side, when they come to say goodbye. We will live to fight another day._

Mac opened his eyes again, and swallowed the soar lump that had formed in his throat. He breathed out, and reached for his jacket. He settled the bill, and decisively walked towards the exit in a determined stride. He wasn't about to waste another minute without her.

_Hope I didn't speak to soon. My eyes have always followed you around the room. Because you're the only God that I will ever need, I'm holding on and waiting for the moment for my heart to be unbroken by the scene._

"Hey Mac, where are you going?" Adam shouted from across the room.

"I'm going to see Jo." He spoke determinately. "I'll see you in the morning." As Mac made his way out of the cafe, Adam jumped in his way. "I… you…" Adam mumbled. "No… No you can't." He cleared his throat and glanced over to Sheldon looking for some kind of support. Adam broke down in cold sweat as he started to comprehend the mess he gotten himself into again.

"_Yeah…_" Sheldon hesitated, quickly trying to make an excuse. "Adam's right. I think it's best if we let her rest for tonight." Sheldon continued, as he hoped he could exercise some of his medical expertise. "We can all go tomorrow. How about that?" Sheldon grinned widely.

"I'm sorry, but I really want to see her tonight." Mac turned around and opened the door of the café to walk outside. "She won't be there…" Adam spat out. He squeezed his eyes together, as a painful grimace spread across his face. He mentally kicked him for his slip of the tongue. He wasn't suppose to tell Mac.

"What do mean…" Mac whirled around. "She won't be there?"

"I…" Adam sighed. There was no use in lying now. "Look, we weren't suppose to tell you." Adam explained.

"Tell me _what_?" Mac raised his voice.

"Danny and Lindsay went to pick up Jo from the hospital one hour ago." Sheldon hopped in. _They were in so much trouble now. Flack would kill them for telling Mac._ "They've arranged a meeting between Jo and Mason."

"They what?" Mac shouted out.

"Jo requested for it herself, Mac. She just didn't want you to know."

"She was afraid you'd freak out." Adam continued.

Mac felt the ground slipping from under his feat. This just couldn't be happening. He angrily glanced over to his two friends, who were humbly waiting for his rage to come over them. Mac let out a heavy breath, and quickly turned around. He violently stepped through the door and disappeared into the cold winter night.

* * *

><p><strong>- Author's note -<strong>

_Ruh-roh! Will Jo's plan be jeopardized now Mac has found out? And what about Mac's feelings towards Jo? Will he follow Flack's advice, and finally find the courage to tell her?_

_I haven't written the next chapter yet, so I'm still entirely open for **suggestions**. Where do you want to take the story's final chapter? Let me know!_

_The song that I referred to in this chapter is called **"If I had a gun..."**, and is written by Noel Gallagher. You should give it a listen. I think it describes Jo and Mac's relationship perfectly._


	9. Chapter IX

**Chapter IX**

Jo slowly shuffled her feet across the tile floor of the precinct, trying her absolute best not to make any sudden movement. She held on tight to Lindsay's hand, in an attempt to keep her moving figure as steady as possible as she strutted across the dim-lit room. Flack and Lindsay had gotten her out of the hospital, but that didn't mean her body was ready to take on this much of a hassle. On the contrary, her shattered bones were anything but. Her head screamed bloody murder as a pumping pressure started to accumulate under her skull, and flashing bolts of sharp pain punctured her abdomen. She abruptly stopped in her tracks and violently gasped, attempting to suck in enough air to at least make it to the interrogation room.

"Are you okay?" Flack tried to support his friend with his full weight.

"Yeah…" Jo waited for the burning agony in her abdomen to subside. "Just… give me a second." She breathed out, and slowly scanned the room for any activity. It was past midnight and there were only a handful of police officers left at the precinct. Even though they tried their absolute best not to disrupt the ongoing scene, Jo noticed how they watched her every single step of the way. She tried to push aside the rupturing pain, and slowly lifted up her head again. "Okay, I'm ready." She said as determent as she could possibly manage.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Flack asked again to be absolutely sure. He started to think that they might have rushed into this too quickly, and gotten far too emotional about Jo's honest request. This whole situation had written 'bad idea' all over it, but they had wanted to help their friend out, even though it probably meant serious trouble for all of them. "Yes…" Jo simply stated as she stared in the distance and carefully glanced over to the door of the interrogation room.

"I'll be in the next room." Lindsay explained. "Flack is going to join you." Lindsay gave Jo's hand a last solid squeeze before letting go. Flack carefully guided Jo through the last steps towards the interrogation room.. "If you want to get out of there," Flack started. "Just let me know." He clarified, and concern spread across his face one again. "I will." Jo faintly smiled, and took in one last breath of air before Flack pushed down the door handle and gently guided her inside.

* * *

><p>As Mac violently maneuvered his Avalanche through the busy streets of New York, he couldn't get his mind of Jo. He couldn't bare the thought of her being in the same room as the guy who had almost killed her. Sure, there'd be an officer present who'd be more than willing to protect her from any physical harm, but Mac was more worried about Jo's mental health. He couldn't figure out why she had wanted to meet up with Mason. Surely nothing good would come out of it. If only he had made more time for her during the past couple of days, and actually asked her how she was feeling, she wouldn't have felt the need to put herself in this hazardous situation. If only he had been there for her in the way he knew he wanted to so badly. If only he hadn't been a coward and finally told her he loved her. If only. Mac hit his fist against the steering wheel in an attempt to stop his raging mind. He held on tight to the steering wheel and stepped on the gas pedal twice as hard.<p>

* * *

><p>Jo let out a soft sigh as she glanced over at the boy sitting right opposite of her. She slid her hands off the table and folded them quietly into her lap in an attempt to stop them from trembling. If she was being totally honest with herself, she hadn't really anticipated on being this scared. She felt exposed, almost naked, stripped down from all the defenses she had managed to build up during her years as a professional detective. Often times it had become personal in the interrogation room, but this situation was totally different from anything she had ever experienced. She didn't have a plan; she was lost without a script. She thought of Mac. She bit her tongue and swallowed the lump in her throat. If he were here right now, she'd have the strength to do what she had set out to do.<p>

"Do you know what invulnerability means?" Jo quietly started as she tried to keep her trembling voice as steady as she possibly could. She tried to keep her eyes fixed on Mason, but the sight of him made her sick to her stomach. "It's the feeling that nothing could ever happen to you." She continued. "It's the feeling that you're safe." Jo subtly blinked away a tear that had accumulated under her heavy eyelid.

In the mean time, Flack tried to keep his gaze fixed on Mason and anticipate his every possible move. Only for a brief moment did he peek at Jo, and for the first time he noticed the peculiar form of the bruising along her cheek line. It looked like it had taken on the form of a blue shoeprint, as if somebody had violently kicked her in the face with a heavy boot. Flack rapidly cast away his look, and angrily squeezed his hands together in a ball. He felt his stomach swirling around, as an image of a severely bleeding Jo on a curb briefly crossed his mind. He figured he should consider himself a lucky man to still have Jo around, as her attack could have easily taken on another outcome. They could have lost her that night. Flack shook his head as if he was desperately trying to chase away all of these horrible thoughts out of his mind. Even for a seasoned detective like him, they were just too much to bear.

"Everyone needs that feeling of safety…" Jo continued. "Otherwise..." She carefully lifted her hand to her head and made little circles with her index finger on her temple. "It becomes hell in here." She spoke with a hoarse voice. "You wouldn't be able to leave your house at night, or trust anyone." She stated, "... and you would always sleep with the lights on." It seemed that with every labored breath she took, she was again reminded of the horror Mason had put her trough that night. Her pounding headache seemed to take on the form of his leather booth violently kicking her face. Her racing heart in her chest made it extremely hard for her to breath, as if somebody was violently squeezing her throat shut. She felt her bruised ribs flinch under her labored breathing. She felt as she was being attacked all over again, in the safe confines of the familiar interrogation room she knew so well. Is seemed like her body was begging her to get out, and run away as fast as she possibly could. "I guess you don't understand…" Jo said in disappointment. Mason indifferently turned his head away, and rolled his eyes at the floor.

* * *

><p>"What the hell is going on?" Mac slammed the door open of the second interrogation room where Lindsay was silently watching the heavy scene unfold. As soon as she saw Mac marching towards her out of the corner of her eye, she instantly felt her heart plummeting down to her stomach. "Mac…" Lindsay hesitantly started. "Why… Why are you here? I don't…" She clumsily stuttered, unable to come up with any relevant word or coherent sentence. She just stood there in complete defeat, altogether nailed to the ground. "What do you think you're doing?" Mac defiantly asked. He turned towards the blinded glass and put his hand on the neighboring wall in attempt to regain balance. He wasn't able to see Jo's face, but it immediately became clear that the atmosphere in the other room could easily break right through the brick wall. "Answer me…" Mac stared back at Lindsay, trying his best not to raise his voice at her.<p>

"Just… calm down, Mac." Lindsay tried to reassure him. She silently gasped for air, as she was racking her brain to find the right answer.

"Calm down?" Mac scoffed. "Jo is in the next room with that son of a bitch who nearly beat her to death." He pointed his finger towards the other room. "Don't tell me to calm down."

"I can explain…" Lindsay started, but she was immediately cut off by Mac's raging agony. "Just… drop it." He angrily sighed. "I don't have time for this right now." Mac ran his hand through his hair, completely in awe of the nightmare unfolding right in front of him. "I'm going in there." He decided. "End all of this." He started strutting towards the exit. "No…" Lindsay's voice broke in half. "Mac!" She pleaded as she saw him walking towards the door. "Mac!" She called for him again. When Mac didn't seem to react to her desperate cries, she saw no other option than to block his way out of the room. She quickly ran towards the exit and put herself between Mac and the door. "You can't go in there." She firmly stated. "I won't let you." She had a defiant glistering in her eyes. "Jo called me to ask me for this favor." Tears started accumulating in Lindsay's eyes.

"You really think you are doing her a favor?" Mac raised his eyebrows at her.

"She trusted me to do the right thing." Lindsay simply stated.

"And this is the right thing?" Mac asked.

"I'm not trying to deliberately undermine the investigation. I'm not trying to get you into trouble with your superiors." Lindsay hissed between her teeth, unable to calm herself down. "I'm just trying to stand up for a friend." Mac cast his eyes to the floor and forced his jaw in sharp angle until it hurt. "I'm trying to give her a chance to deal with her demons the best way she knows how." Lindsay paused for a moment, not sure what to say next. She clenched her teeth together, bracing herself for Mac's next fit of anger. But Mac kept quiet; unable to speak he turned back around and glanced trough the blinded window once again. Lindsay sighed in relief, and figured this was her chance to get the upper hand in the discussion. She scraped her throat, before finally going in for the kill. "If you'd love her as much as you have been letting on for these past couple of days, than you would give her that chance too." Lindsay concluded. She bit her lip in anticipation, but received nothing but a sigh of defeat.

* * *

><p>"You could have done anything with me…" Jo paused intentionally. "Anything." Her voice shattered into pieces, when she thought back at what had happened that night, and what could have been. She felt so vulnerable right now, so fragile. She experienced this conversation to be extremely intimate. She couldn't hide anymore. In a way, this was the first time since her assault that she'd shared her feelings so openly. "You could have kicked me… beaten me." She paused again to take in a deep breath of air. "Raped me." She said in a deeper voice. "You could have killed me." She felt her eyelids become heavy with tears as her sight went blurry. "I was all yours." Jo swallowed hard, and quickly casted away her gaze.<p>

Flack took hold of the back of Jo's chair, trying to let Jo know he was still right behind her. He had wanted to touch her shoulder, to give her some sign of moral support, but he had been too afraid of startling her. So he merely rested his hand on the cold metal of her chair, only a few inches away of Jo's trembling body.

Mac stood there in silence, seeing the woman he had secretly loved for months crumble down right before his eyes. He wanted to take her by the hand, and gently lead her out of the interrogation room. He wanted to hold her so badly, and make the pain go away, but he realized soon enough that he hadn't told her about his feelings yet. He took a step closer to the small glass window, and laid his hand against the window. Lindsay was right; the time for him to come clean had come.

"I want to talk to my lawyer." Mason spoke for the first time since he had been brought into the interrogation room. He pushed his tongue against the inner side of his cheek, glaring menacingly across the room.

"He's on his way." Flack scoffed.

"I think you'd better find yourself a really good lawyer." Jo picked in. "I'm going to ask the youth court to give you out of hands." Her eyes interlocked with Mason's.

Flack started to walk around the table, and finally broke the unbearable silence in the room. "Do you know what that means?" Mason sat perfectly still. He kept staring at Jo without any hesitation, hardly blinking and never looking away. "It's a special procedure for dangerous and unmanageable minors." Jo continued the one-way conversation. "You will be treated as an adult." Flack clarified, unable to hide the grin that was spreading across this face. "I don't really think it's a good idea to lock up a young boy like yourself between murderers and rapists." Jo grew more confident with every word she spoke. "But in your case, I'm gladly making an exception." She spat out.

"You have to learn what being vulnerable is all about." Jo concluded.

Mac swallowed hard as he felt his throat tighten up. He pressed his lips together, being completely in awe of Jo's honest, yet heartbreaking testimony. He never expected her to be so bold, even though he had always thought of her as independent and strong. He just figured that no one could possibly be so upright after such a hideous, hate-driven attack. Apparently, he was wrong. Not only had Jo succeeded in being the bigger person, she had been able to face her roughest struggles with grace and dignity. He could only hoped to have the courage to do the same.

Mason shifted on his chair as the first cracks in his confident posture started to finally show.

"Getting nervous?" Flack asked amused.

Mason shook his head, and heavily sighed. He looked up at Jo with hatred flaming in his eyes. His irises turned a darker grey, as he seemed to prepare for attack. "I should've killed you." He whispered under his breath.

There was a moment of silence, for neither Jo nor Flack had clearly heard what Mason had just said. Before they could gather the right information in their heads, Mason jumped up and reached across the table. He violently curved his hardened hands around Jo's neck, as he roughly took hold of her. He planted his fingers in the side of her bruised neck, tirelessly squeezing her airway shut. Flacked immediately dived in, but it took him a few seconds to grab hold of Mason's jacket and firmly pull him back in his chair. The moment he finally did, Jo was already making her way out of the interrogation room. She ran her hands along the wall, trying to regain her balance, but was hardly able to do so. She stumbled across the floor towards the exit, and applied her full body weight to open the door. She staggered into the hallway, breathing heavily through her injured airway. She put her hands on her throat, desperately trying to ignore the raging pain spreading across her body at an astonishing rate. She went from left to right and from right to left, completely disoriented and half in shock.

Mac and Lindsay made their way out of the back room, just as Flack tried to grab a hold of Jo. "Jo, Jo…" Flack tried to make eye contact with Jo. "Look at me." Flack tried again.

"Flack, get your car. She has to go back to the hospital as soon as possible." Mac ordered as he closed the remaining distance. "Lindsay, get the first aid kit." He said as he put his hand on Jo's arm. Flack and Lindsay made their way out of the hallway, and took his turn at trying to get a hold of Jo. He put his other hand on her shoulder, but quickly drew back as he saw her wincing in pain. "Au-au…" Jo let out between tears. "I'm sorry." Mac sheepishly apologized, not exactly sure what to say. "Jo, look at me." He carefully placed the palm of his hand across her battered cheek. Jo's eyes jumped from one corner to another, before eventually landing on Mac's concerned face. For a moment, Mac kept perfectly still, trying not to put unnecessary stains on the silence. He merely locked eyes with her, and tried to sooth her with an understanding look. Moments passed, and Mac felt Jo's labored breathing slowly calm down under his touch. "Are you okay?" Mac finally asked, wiping away a strand of hair. "My god…" Mac spoke under his breath. "Jo, you're bleeding." Mac lifted Jo's chin to get a better look at her bleeding forehead. "It's nothing…" Jo whispered in a hoarse voice. "It's just a ruptured suture." Jo slowly shook her head lose from Mac's grip and cast her look away towards the ground. Mac inhaled deeply, and waited. Only seconds later he received the reaction he was hoping to get out of her: defeat.

Finally, Jo pushed aside the last remnant of the brick wall around her, and reached out for help. Her face broke into a million pieces as she started sobbing uncontrollably. Mac wanted to take hold of her, but he wasn't sure her body would be able to handle the minor pressure of an ordinary hug. Nothing was as simple as it seemed anymore. He merely brushed the tears away that were rolling down her hot cheek. "What we're thinking, Jo?" He silently asked her. Jo looked up at him, trying to take control over the violent sobs escaping her mouth. "I just…" She whispered. "I just wanted to feel safe again." She looked defeated, empty, stripped down to her every human essence.

Mac tilted his head in empathy, and slowly closed the space between them. He softly slid his arms around her back, and rested his forehead on the side of her face. He carefully applied some pressure to his embrace, and slid his face along side hers to plant a tender kiss on her damp cheek. His lips lingered for a second, and his nose gently nudged her face, as if he wanted to let her know that his gesture was much more than a friendly embrace.

Jo felt her heart tear up, out of grief and out of joy. She had given up all control, and floated in Mac's tight embrace. She didn't care if it hurt. She rubbed her hand against his chest and took hold off the fabric of his shirt, claiming his protection even more.

Mac let his lips trail down even further down her face until he was at level of her lips. He could feel her breath at the other side of his face, the hot air coloring his skin to a darker red. He nudged her face again, and again, until he felt her slowly moving into him. Cautiously, she brushed the torn skin of her lips against his. She felt rough at the outside, but on the inside Mac found a soothing warmth. He put his mouth on hers, and slowly sucked in the softness of her kiss. He breathed in her familiar scent, and trailed his fingers through to her thick, luxurious hair. He carefully broke away, only to move in deeper. He stroked his tongue against the inner side of her lower lip, tasting her raging heartbeat through her skin. He felt her tremble under his grip, and planted a last soft kiss on her lips before pulling away. "You'll be safe…" He whispered. "Right here with me."

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><p><em>Pfew, I finally managed to finish this story! Hopefully I fulfilled all your expectations. I just wanted to say thank you to all my reviewers, and the people who have followedfavorited my story. Thank you for your lasting appreciation and support!_


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